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Let your iPhone read aloud what you can't see

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Let your iPhone read aloud what you can't see

Apple’s iOS 18 brings a host of new features aimed at enhancing your accessibility. 

Among these, the upgraded Magnifier app stands out with its innovative Reader Mode, designed to assist you in reading small or dark text with ease.

A woman having trouble reading things (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Ensure you have iOS 18 installed

Before you can take advantage of the new features in the Magnifier app, make sure your device is running iOS 18. Follow these steps to check and update your iOS.

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Check your current iOS Version:

  • Open the Settings app on your device
  • Tap General
  • Tap About, and you’ll see the version number next to Software Version.

Update to iOS 18:

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap General
  • Tap Software Update
  • If iOS 18 is available, tap Download and Install
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update

Steps to update to iOS 18 on iPhone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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The power of Magnifier’s Reader Mode

Have you ever struggled to read something small or in poor lighting? The new Reader Mode in iOS 18’s Magnifier app is here to help. By simply snapping a picture, this feature translates all the text in the image into a clear, easy-to-read page. Here are the steps to use Reader Mode.

  • Launch the Magnifier app on your iOS device. You can do this by searching for it in the Spotlight search or accessing it via Control Center if you’ve added it there.
  • Once inside the Magnifier app, tap on the Settings icon (or gear icon) in the top or bottom corner of the screen.
  • In the settings menu, click Capture to enable Reader Mode by toggling the switch.
  • Click the left-hand yellow arrow in the upper left of the screen to exit.
  • Next, tap Done

Steps to use Magnifier Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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  • Now, position your camera over the text you want to read and tap the Capture button to take a picture.
  • After taking the picture, you’ll see an option to apply Reader Mode. Tap on the Reader Mode icon to convert the text into a clear, readable format.
  • Customize your reading experience by adjusting font sizecontrast and background color using the controls at the bottom of the screen. This helps improve readability, especially in low-light conditions or for small fonts.
  • You can scroll up and down the screen to read the text.
  • When you are done, just tap the X in the black circle in the upper right of the screen.
  • Then tap the X in the yellow circle where it says close below it to completely exit.

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Steps to use Magnifier Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Text-to-speech functionality

In addition to visual adjustments, the Reader Mode also includes a text-to-speech option. This allows the app to read the text out loud, making it even more accessible for those with visual impairments or those who prefer auditory learning. Here’s how to use the Magnifier’s Reader Mode.

  • Launch the Magnifier app on your iOS device. You can do this by searching for it in the Spotlight search or accessing it via Control Center if you’ve added it there.
  • Now, position your camera over the text you want to read. Tap the Capture button to take a picture.
  • After taking the picture, you’ll see an option to apply Reader Mode. Tap on the Reader Mode icon to convert the text into a clear, readable format.
  • Customize your reading experience by adjusting font sizecontrast and background color using the controls at the bottom of the screen. This helps improve readability, especially in low-light conditions or for small fonts.
  • Then tap the Play button at the bottom of the screen to listen to the text.
  • Tap the X at the top right of the screen to exit.
  • If you want to keep the text for later or share it with someone, tap the Share icon to save or send the readable version of the text.
  • When you want to exit, tap the yellow circle with the X in the center of it. 

Steps to use text-to-speech functionality in Reader Mode (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The new Reader Mode in iOS 18’s Magnifier app is a game-changer for accessibility. By offering customizable reading options and text-to-speech functionality, Apple continues to lead the way in making technology more inclusive for everyone. Whether you’re reading small print or navigating low-light conditions, the Magnifier app ensures that you can access the information you need with ease.

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What other features would you like to see in future iOS updates to enhance your iPhone experience? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Technology

You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

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You need to listen to Billy Woods’ horrorcore masterpiece for the A24 crowd

Billy Woods has one of the highest batting averages in the game. Between his solo records like Hiding Places and Maps, and his collaborative albums with Elucid as Armand Hammer, the man has multiple stone-cold classics under his belt. And, while no one would ever claim that Woods’ albums were light-hearted fare (these are not party records), Golliwog represents his darkest to date.

This is not your typical horrorcore record. Others, like Geto Boys, Gravediggaz, and Insane Clown Posse, reach for slasher aesthetics and shock tactics. But what Billy Woods has crafted is more A24 than Blumhouse.

Sure, the first track is called “Jumpscare,” and it opens with the sound of a film reel spinning up, followed by a creepy music box and the line: “Ragdoll playing dead. Rabid dog in the yard, car won’t start, it’s bees in your head.” It’s setting you up for the typical horror flick gimmickry. But by the end, it’s psychological torture. A cacophony of voices forms a bed for unidentifiable screeching noises, and Woods drops what feels like a mission statement:

“The English language is violence, I hotwired it. I got a hold of the master’s tools and got dialed in.”

Throughout the record, Woods turns to his producers to craft not cheap scares, but tension, to make the listener feel uneasy. “Waterproof Mascara” turns a woman’s sobs into a rhythmic motif. On “Pitchforks & Halos” Kenny Segal conjures the aural equivalent of a POV shot of a serial killer. And “All These Worlds are Yours” produced by DJ Haram has more in common with the early industrial of Throbbing Gristle than it does even some of the other tracks on the record, like “Golgotha” which pairs boombap drums with New Orleans funeral horns.

That dense, at times scattered production is paired with lines that juxtapose the real-world horrors of oppression and colonialism, with scenes that feel taken straight from Bring Her Back: “Trapped a housefly in an upside-down pint glass and waited for it to die.” And later, Woods seamlessly transitions from boasting to warning people about turning their backs on the genocide in Gaza on “Corinthians”:

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If you never came back from the dead you can’t tell me shit
Twelve billion USD hovering over the Gaza Strip
You don’t wanna know what it cost to live
What it cost to hide behind eyelids
When your back turnt, secret cannibals lick they lips

The record features some of Woods’ deftest lyricism, balancing confrontation with philosophy, horror with emotion. Billy Woods’ Golliwog is available on Bandcamp and on most major streaming services, including Apple Music, Qobuz, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

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Technology

Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok AI scandal sparks global alarm over child safety

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Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.

In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”

That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.

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The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children.  (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash

As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.

The apology that raised more questions

Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.

Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.

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After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.

Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”

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Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Sexualized images of minors are illegal

This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.

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In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.

The scale of the problem is growing fast

A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.

Real people are being targeted

The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.

Governments respond worldwide

The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.

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Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors. (Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use

The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.

Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.

Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?

What parents and users should know

If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

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Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.

Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.

Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.

Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Technology

Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

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Google pulls AI overviews for some medical searches

In one case that experts described as “really dangerous”, Google wrongly advised people with pancreatic cancer to avoid high-fat foods. Experts said this was the exact opposite of what should be recommended, and may increase the risk of patients dying from the disease.

In another “alarming” example, the company provided bogus information about crucial liver function tests, which could leave people with serious liver disease wrongly thinking they are healthy.

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